By Brendan Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela – With the death of Hugo Chavez the people of Venezuela have begun their morning period. But with the Venezuelan base restructuring itself to protect the transition of power come rumors and accusations of a western based assassination.

Since his death on March 5, accusations have come from the upper echelons of the Chavez administration have been implying that the United States and Israel conspired to assassinate Hugo Chavez and destabilize Venezuela. In 2011, Chavez upon discovering he had cancer implied that he had been injected by foreign imperialistic forces.

However at this stage, giving other people cancer via injection seems highly suspect. While Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez has implied similarities to Palestinian Leaders Yasser Arafat death, even polonium poisoning does not give you cancer, and merely mimics end stages of cancer.

The assassination of a foreign leader has been denounced by the Geneva Convention, which in Article 37 of Protocol I states “It is prohibited to kill, injure or capture an adversary by resort to perfidy. Acts inviting the confidence of an adversary to lead him to believe that he is entitled to, or is obliged to accord, protection under the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict, with intent to betray that confidence, shall constitute perfidy.” Beyond the rules of International Conflict, President Reagan signed Executive Order 12 333, which prohibits US Intelligence agencies from assassinating foreign leader targets.

Venezuela has since expelled two U.S. military attaches, and the U.S. has in turn expelled two Venezuelan diplomats. It seems that until the Venezuelan administration finishes their probe into Hugo Chavez’s death, tensions will rise between the two nations. Yet the possibility of an unbiased report seems unlikely, as in 2006 Chavez told reporters, “If they kill me, the name of the person responsible is George Bush,” unwilling to acknowledge the numerous Venezuelans who were economically displaced when the President altered the economic and social structure of the country.

When Hugo Chavez took power after his failed coup d’état in 2002, he seized power away from the court systems, and undercut the ability of journalists, and human rights defenders to exercise their ability to report on violations within the country. Chavez was able to use the government’s free reign to intimidate, censor and prosecute those within the country who challenged his political agenda. In September 2012, Venezuela announced its withdrawal from the American Convention on Human Rights, indicating a radical decision in the face of international scrutiny.

For further information, please see:

BBC – Venezuela To Investigate Chavez Murder Allegations – 12 March 2013

Tehran Times – Assassination Of Hugo Chavez – 8 March 2013

Gawker – Could The U.S. Have Assassinated Hugo Chavez Using Cancer? – 8 March 2013

Miami News Times – Did Assassins Give Hugo Chavez Cancer? Conspiracies Fly As Groups Request CIA Docs – 7 March 2013

Human Rights Watch – Venezuela: Chavez’s Authoritarian Legacy – 5 March 2013